A festival dedicated to telling migrants' stories was held recently on the Sicilian island Lampedusa, organized by a legal cooperative Avvocatocittadinanza.it. The event aimed to encourage public discussion of citizenship and human rights and demonstrate how migrants can enrich Italian society.
The stories of migrants were at the center of the event that took place, "Lampedusa where everything started" on September 9 in Piazza Castello, in Lampedusa. The initiative was founded by the lawyer Susanna Tosi, part of the legal collective Avvocatocittadinanza.it.
"We gave a face to these persons, recounting their paths of integration and opportunities that can flourish when human rights are respected," declared Tosi.
"The migrants can enrich our society with their professional and cultural values," she added.
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A public space to discuss citizenship and rights
Vito Fiorino is an ice cream seller on Lampedusa who, on October 3, 2013, became a hero by chance. One of his hobbies is fishing, and he was waiting for dawn to break with a group of friends when suddenly, he found himself surrounded by tens of shipwrecked refugees screaming desperately.
Fiorino started pulling people on board, as many as possible. That day they saved 47 migrants. His dramatic story was at the center of the initiative promoted and organized by Avvocatocittadinanza.it, the legal office that has over 20 years of experience in guaranteeing foreigners full legal assistance in terms of Italian citizenship.
The Sicilian island of Lampedusa has become a symbol of migration in the Mediterranean, with many of those crossing from North Africa arriving first on Lampedusa.
That's why the municipalities on Lampedusa and Linosa, along with the legal collective decided they wanted to hold the event to create a public space to allow those attending to discuss topics of citizenship, identity and the rights of new generations.
"We wanted to bring the attention back to a land that is a destination for those who faced difficult and often dramatic voyages, but it is also to recount the stories of those who made it, of those who were able to rebuild their lives and today contribute to society, and improve it", explained Tosi.
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Tosi: 'Migrants can enrich Italian society'
The first documented docking of migrants in Lampedusa dates back to 1992, when 71 people arrived on the island from the Maghreb region.
That first arrival hit the headlines,but those that followed have become almost routine, explains Tosi.
"Migrants can enrich Italian society through work and by bringing new skills and energy."
One of those taking part in the event was Aida Diouf Mbengue. A TikToker and influencer who wears the veil."I fight racism and Islamophobia with irony on social media", she stated. "Diufy [her brand] is not only a brand but a movement to say that I am here, to promote the double identity, and my message is to remind youth to always be themselves", she added.
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